7 replies to this topic

[Ewan Johnstone]

Folks,

               Having just spent a week on Skye, myself and my better half travelled over to Raasay to explore the Iron Ore Mine that was worked by Germa POW's. I have some photographs of the mine buildings etc, and would be happy to share them if anybody is interested. Please PM me as my computer won't let me post photographs on here. (Not enough steam up I think!)


Your's aye

Ewan

[centurion]

Ewan Johnstone, on 04 April 2012 - 02:15 PM, said:

Folks,

           Having just spent a week on Skye, myself and my better half travelled over to Raasay to explore the Iron Ore Mine that was worked by Germa POW's. I have some photographs of the mine buildings etc, and would be happy to share them if anybody is interested. Please PM me as my computer won't let me post photographs on here. (Not enough steam up I think!)


Your's aye

Ewan

More likely they are too big and contravene the forum size limit of 100K.

I believe that, technically speaking, German POWs could not be made to work in iron mines as this contravened the prohibition of work that directly benefited the war effort. Prisoners were usually asked to volunteer. Incentives were provided.  I have come across an example of another iron mine on the British main land where this was done and POWs also worked the supporting railway. Some met local girls, married and their descendants are still living in this country.

[patrick anderson]

Ewan , I did not realise that German POWs of WW1 worked on the Raasay Iron Ore Mine on that wee island !

I know that German U Boats of WW1 attacked and sunk a number of fishing boats from Scotland off Loch Eyrniot near Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye .


p

[Dragon]

I took photos of the remains of these buildings on our second holiday on Raasay a couple of years ago.  I felt the ruins had a charged atmosphere. I'd be  interested to see your pictures - maybe you had better weather!

If they're too large for the forum, you can host them externally on flickr or similar.

We also visited the graves of prisoners in the little churchyard and I think I took photos.

Gwyn

[Terry_Reeves]

There is a book about it, which looks interesting:

http://www.raasay.com/ironmine.html

TR

[centurion]

The story sounds very similar to the Weardale Iron Company in Co Durham where German POWs worked in the quarry and on  the railway carnying ore to the refinery. They came from both the German army and navy.

[Ewan Johnstone]

Dragon, we had a week of glorious sunshine, the ruins at both ends of the railway were fairly eerie. I have done many years of walking all over Scotland, but trudging the old track bed from the old pier to the actual mine was very lonely. Dissapointed that there wasn't so muh as an information board, however that did add to the eerieness of the place. I can't even get my flickr account to play tonight. Shall try again later to upload them.



Ewan

[mtaylor]

Interestingly (well to me at least) the mine was the site of the only serious (influenza excepted) cases of ill health among German PoWs in Britain.  They liked to combine their rations into a mushy stew which they kept simmering for hours - with the result that they boiled out most of the vitamins and developed scurvy!

Mike